Method of adjusting printing position, printing apparatus using the same, and recording medium having program for the same

Abstract

A printing apparatus arranged to perform printing while a monochrome printing head and a color printing head are moved in a direction in which the two heads are moved, the printing apparatus being arranged to print a plurality of patterns in which the relative quantity of deviation of printing timings of the two heads is changed in a stepped manner to cause a user to select a pattern having the smallest quantity of deviation among the plural patterns. Then, the selected pattern is used as a central value when a plurality of patterns in which the relative quantity of deviation of the printing timings of the two heads is changed in a stepped manner are furthermore printed to cause the user to select a pattern having a smallest quantity of deviation from the plural patterns. The above-mentioned process is repeated as necessary. As a result, the operation which is performed by the user to adjust the printing position can simply and easily be performed. Control is performed in such a manner as to change color to be printed by the color printing head whenever an adjustment mode in which the relative quantity of deviation of the printing timing is adjusted is started.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A printing-position adjustment method for a printing apparatus having a first printing head and a second printing head, the printing-position adjustment method comprising: 
       (a) printing stepped-deviation patterns, each with a different respective print deviation timing value varying from another of the stepped-deviation patterns by a step size, wherein the print deviation timing value represents a relative deviation of printing timings of the two printing heads, the stepped-deviation patterns defining a prior set of printed patterns; then  
       (b) receiving a selection indicator corresponding to one of the prior set of printed patterns, and setting the respective print deviation timing value of the selected one of the prior set of printed patterns as a central value for a subsequent set of printed patterns;  
       (c) printing the subsequent set of stepped-deviation patterns with a lowest respective print deviation timing value and a highest respective print deviation timing value being based on the central value, the subsequent stepped-deviation patterns, after printing, defining the prior set of printed patterns;  
       (d) until an end of adjustment indication is received, repeating the steps (b) and (c).  
     
     
       2. The printing-position adjustment method according to claim  1 , wherein the printing of the subsequent stepped-deviation patterns is performed with the respective step size smaller than the respective step size used in printing the prior set of printed patterns. 
     
     
       3. The printing-position adjustment method according to claim  2 , wherein the smaller respective step size is used only when the selected one of the prior set of printed patterns does not have the highest respective print deviation timing value and does not have the lowest respective print deviation timing value for the prior set of printed patterns. 
     
     
       4. A printing-position adjustment method for a printing apparatus having a monochrome printing head and a color printing head, the color printing head being adapted to print a plurality of colors, the printing-position adjustment method comprising: 
       in response to detecting a start of an adjustment mode, printing patterns each with a different respective print deviation timing value, wherein the print deviation timing value represents a relative deviation of printing timings of the two printing heads, each of the patterns including a monochrome component printed by the monochrome printing head and a color component printed by the color printing head in a given one of the plurality of colors; and  
       in response to detecting a subsequent start of the adjustment mode, performing a subsequent printing of the patterns with the color component being a different color from the given one of the plurality of colors.  
     
     
       5. A printing-position adjustment method for a printing apparatus having a monochrome printing head and a color printing head, the color printing head being adapted to print a plurality of colors, the printing-position adjustment method comprising: 
       in response to detecting a start of an adjustment mode, printing patterns each with a different respective print deviation timing value, wherein the print deviation timing value represents a relative deviation of printing timings of the two printing heads, each of the patterns including a monochrome component printed by the monochrome printing head and a color component printed by the color printing head in a given one of the plurality of colors; and  
       performing, one or more times, a subsequent printing of the patterns;  
       wherein the color component for each of the one or more times of the subsequent printing is a different color from the preceding printing of the patterns.  
     
     
       6. A printing apparatus having a first printing head and a second printing head, comprising: 
       printing control means for printing stepped-deviation patterns, each with a different respective print deviation timing value varying from another of the stepped-deviation patterns by a step size, wherein the print deviation timing value represents a relative deviation of printing timings of the two printing heads, the stepped-deviation patterns defining a prior set of printed patterns;  
       pattern input means for receiving a selection indicator corresponding to one of the prior set of printed patterns;  
       adjustment-pattern control means for performing administration to repeat at least one time, until an end of adjustment indication is received, the steps of:  
       setting the respective print deviation timing value of the selected one of the prior set of printed patterns as a central value for a subsequent set of printed patterns, and  
       issuing a command to the printing control means for printing the subsequent set of stepped-deviation patterns with a lowest respective print deviation timing value and a highest respective print deviation timing value being based on the central value, the subsequent stepped-deviation patterns, after printing, defining the prior set of printed patterns; and  
       means for storing print deviation timing values in accordance with the selection indicator received by the pattern input means.  
     
     
       7. A printing apparatus according to claim  6 , wherein the adjustment-pattern control means performs control in such a manner that the printing of the subsequent stepped-deviation patterns is performed with the respective step size smaller than the respective step size used in printing the prior set of printed patterns. 
     
     
       8. A printing apparatus according to claim  7 , wherein the smaller respective step size is used only when the selected one of the prior set of printed patterns does not have the highest respective print deviation timing value and does not have the lowest respective print deviation timing value for the prior set of printed patterns. 
     
     
       9. A printing apparatus having a monochrome printing head and a color printing head, the color printing head being adapted to print a plurality of colors, the printing apparatus comprising: 
       printing control means for patterns each with a different respective print deviation timing value, wherein the print deviation timing value represents a relative deviation of printing timings of the two printing heads, each of the patterns including a monochrome component printed by the monochrome printing head and a color component printed by the color printing head in a given one of the plurality of colors;  
       pattern input means for receiving a selection indicator corresponding to one of the prior set of printed patterns;  
       means for storing print deviation timing values in accordance with the selection indicator received by the pattern input means; and  
       adjustment-pattern control means for issuing a command for performing a subsequent printing of the patterns with the color component being a different color from the given one of the plurality of colors, in response to detecting a subsequent start of the adjustment mode.  
     
     
       10. A printing apparatus having a monochrome printing head and a color printing head, the color printing head being adapted to print a plurality of colors, the printing apparatus comprising: 
       printing control means for printing stepped-deviation patterns, each with a different respective print deviation timing value varying from another of the stepped-deviation patterns by a step size, wherein the print deviation timing value represents a relative deviation of printing timings of the two printing heads, the stepped-deviation patterns defining a prior set of printed patterns, each of the printed patterns including a monochrome component printed by the monochrome printing head and a color component printed by the color printing head in a given one of the plurality of colors; and  
       pattern input means for receiving a selection indicator corresponding to one of the prior set of printed patterns;  
       adjustment-pattern control means for performing administration to repeat at least one time, until an end of adjustment indication is received, the steps of:  
       setting the respective print deviation timing value of the selected one of the prior set of printed patterns as a central value for a subsequent set of printed patterns, and  
       issuing a command to the printing control means for printing the subsequent set of stepped-deviation patterns with a lowest respective print deviation timing value and a highest respective print deviation timing value being based on the central value, the subsequent stepped-deviation patterns having a different color for the color component from the prior set of printed patterns;  
       means for storing print deviation timing values in accordance with the selection indicator received by the pattern input means;  
       wherein, after printing, the subsequent set of stepped-deviation patterns is defined as the prior set of printed patterns.  
     
     
       11. A printing apparatus according to anyone of claims  6  to  10 , further comprising a host computer receiving a control program for controlling the printing control means and the adjustment-pattern control means. 
     
     
       12. A printing apparatus according to claim  11 , wherein the host computer receives the control program through a communication network. 
     
     
       13. A printing apparatus according to claim  11 , wherein the host computer comprises a reading unit, and receives the control program from a recording medium read through the reading unit. 
     
     
       14. A computer program product for head alignment of a printing apparatus, comprising: 
       a computer readable medium, and  
       computer instructions comprising a control program for controlling a printing apparatus to perform predetermined steps;  
       wherein the predetermined steps comprise:  
       printing stepped-deviation patterns, each with a different respective print deviation timing value varying from another of the stepped-deviation patterns by a step size, wherein the print deviation timing value represents a relative deviation of printing timings of the two printing heads, the stepped-deviation patterns defining a prior set of printed patterns; then  
       receiving a selection indicator corresponding to one of the prior set of printed patterns, and setting the respective print deviation timing value of the selected one of the prior set of printed patterns as a central value for a subsequent set of printed patterns;  
       printing the subsequent set of stepped-deviation patterns with a lowest respective print deviation timing value and a highest respective print deviation timing value being based on the central value, the subsequent stopped-deviation patterns, after printing, defining the prior set of printed patterns;  
       until an end of adjustment indication is received, repeating the steps of receiving the selection indicator and printing the subsequent set of stepped-deviation patterns.  
     
     
       15. A computer program product according to claim  14 , wherein the predetermined steps include the printing of the subsequent stepped-deviation patterns being performed with the respective step size smaller than the respective step size used in printing the prior set of printed patterns. 
     
     
       16. A computer program product according to claim  15 , wherein the predetermined steps include the smaller respective step size being used only when the selected one of the prior set of printed patterns does not have the highest respective print deviation timing value and does not have the lowest respective print deviation timing value for the prior set of printed patterns. 
     
     
       17. A computer program product for head alignment of a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus having a monochrome printing head and a color printing head, the color printing head being adapted to print a plurality of colors, the computer program product comprising: 
       a computer readable medium, and  
       computer instructions comprising a control program for controlling a printing apparatus to perform predetermined steps;  
       wherein the predetermined steps comprise:  
       in response to detecting a start of an adjustment mode, printing patterns each with a different respective print deviation timing value, wherein the print deviation timing value represents a relative deviation of printing timings of the two printing heads, each of the patterns including a monochrome component printed by the monochrome printing head and a color component printed by the color printing head in a given one of the plurality of colors; and  
       in response to detecting a subsequent start of the adjustment mode, performing a subsequent printing of the patterns with the color component being a different color from the given one of the plurality of colors.  
     
     
       18. A computer program product for head alignment of a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus having a monochrome printing head and a color printing head, the color printing head being adapted to print a plurality of colors, the computer program product comprising: 
       a computer readable medium, and  
       computer instructions comprising a control program for controlling a printing apparatus to perform predetermined steps;  
       wherein the predetermined steps comprise:  
       in response to detecting a start of an adjustment mode, printing patterns each with a different respective print deviation timing value, wherein the print deviation timing value represents a relative deviation of printing timings of the two printing heads, each of the patterns including a monochrome component printed by the monochrome printing head and a color component printed by the color printing head in a given one of the plurality of colors; and  
       performing, one or more times, a subsequent printing of the patterns;  
       wherein the color component for each of the one or more times of the subsequent printing is a different color from the preceding printing of the patterns.  
     
     
       19. A computer program product according to any one of claims  14  to  18 , wherein the